Process of extracting hydrocarbon materials from shale and similar earthy material.



A. G. CRANE. PROCESS OF EXTBACTING HYDROCARBON MATERIALS FROM'SHALE A ND SIMILAR EABTHY'MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FlLED OCT. 4, I9I7- 1,276Q8'79. Patented Aug 27, 1918.

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attorney UNITED STATES PAT NT orrrcn.

anonrnu's e. enema, oranivo, NEVADA, ASSIGNOR '10 03am: SHADE OIL conro'na- V TION, or nnno, NEVADA- rnocnss or nxmacrme nrnnocannon liia'rnnmns mom sHALr. AND SIMILAR EARTHY MATERIAL.

Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented A g, 27, 1918.

Application filed October 4, 1917. Serial No. 134,737.

To-dll whom it may concern Be'it known that I, ADoLPHUs siding at Reno, in the county of Washoe and State of Nevada; have invented new and useful-Improvements in Processes of Extracting Hydrocarbon Materials from Shale "and Similar Earthy Material, of which the following is a speclfication. 10.-

This invention relates to the extraction of hydrocarbon material from shale'and similar rocky, ore like, and earthy material.

The invention pertains particularly to the extraction of oil and paraifin material from. petroleum bearing shale and includesthe steps of; a distillation process whereby the extraction is brought about.

The invention has for its object the obtaining of the hydrocarbon material by the use of a simple and easily operated apparatus, The process makes possible the utilization of the gases generated as a source of fuel supply, and also the use of oil bearing 'shale for the extraction of the oil and parafl'm content. I The-process provides for the extraction of -a maximum amount of hydrocarbon mate-' rial by the special preparation of the shale previous to any heat treatment.

Heretofore shale oroil bearing rock has been, treated in retorts with only a fair degree of success because of the small percentage of material extracted compared to the cost of operation. I have found that by grinding, crushing and pulverizing the shale to a powder of about 80 mesh a process of extraction in a retort with dry steam and [condition-free forodischarge of oil vapors.

Referrin in detail tothe operation of the process and to the drawing arepresenting diagrammatically the steps of. the process and the apparatus in which. the process is conducted, 1 represents a hopper containing the originaloil' bearing shale in the form of lumps of rock in the co pdi tgp ri gstaken Gnoncn, CRANE, a citizen of the United States, re-

from the round. 2 is a grinder or-roller provided or reducing the size of the rock or shale. 3 represents a screen or sifting machlne for separating the. large from the small pieces of shale. The finer particles ofthev shale passing throlughthe screen 3. are

collected in a hopper 4 and directed to a I second crusher or roller machine 5 adapted to reduce the material to a pulverizedcondit1on of a s ze at least as small as mesh. The pulverlzed oil bearing material passes from the machine 5 into a conveyer pipe 6- and receives from the hopper 7 a charge of sand so as to form a mixture of the oil bearing shale. and sand for the treatment in the heating members as will be described.-' The mlxture discharged fromthe lower end of the-conveyer pipe 6 enters. an agitating heater member which provides for the treatment of the mixture at a suitable distillation temperature in the presence of dry steam and under the treatment of a constant agitating movement caused by the oscillation of the container holding the mixture.

The agitating heater member includes a stationary heating chamber having the walls 8 and end bearings 9. The walls Sand the bearings 9 are preferably inclined and are to be compared to a cylinder in form. Extending substantially the length of the walls 8 and within the same is the oscillating agitating chamber 10 having the end supporting axles 11 journalcd in the bearings 9. The

chamber 10 is provided with a half rotary or oscillating movement by a suitable drive connection, not shown, and this is for the purpose of keeping the mixture in constant movement so as to prevent the caking of the mixture and so as to facilitate the readygenerat'ion of gases from the same. The

mixture after leaving the pipe 6 enters the opening normally closed by the plate 12in the Wall 8 of the heating chamber and enters the chamber 10 through the opening covered by the plate member 13. At the lower end of the chamber 10 a similar plate member 14 covers the outlet for the'mixture and a plate member 15 covers the corresponding opening in the wall of the heating member 8. The axles of the agitating chamber 10 are hollow and adapted to serve as pipes for the injection of the steam at one end of the chamber and for the removal of the gases generated at the other end of the chamber.

The gases taken off contain considerable material suitable for fuel and these fuel gases are used in the burner 16 which is located below the lower surface of the heating chamber 8. The steam which is forced into the chamberlO is dry steam and the mixture within the chamber becomes heated without becoming moist due to any possible condensation of the steam. In the treatment of shales containing nitrogenous material, such as certain Nevada shales, the gases which are led off from the chamber 10 will contain considerable amounts of ammonia which may be separated and used in the condenser as will be described.

When the mixture is discharged from the lower end of the agitating heater 10 and through the two openings covered by the plates 14 and 15, it enters a retort member 17 through an opening having the covered plate 18. This retort member is preferably stationary in character and is provided with aheater member 19 extending below the under surface ofthe retort 17 A discharge gate is indicated at 20. Material entering the retort 17 is permitted to fill the same to a point adjacent the top that but little space is left between the mixture of comminuted shale and sand and the top wall of the retort. Steam enters the retort by means of the pipe 21 and is injected into the mixture of ground shale and'sand by means of the pipes 22 projecting downwardly into the mixture. In the retort the mixture is subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature higher than that used in the agitating heater member and to a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, due to the action of the heater 19 and to the injection of the steam, which is dry steam as in the case of the steam used in the agitating chamber 10. Vapors generated with in the retort 17 and the gases generated are collected at the top of the retort by means of a hood 23 projecting over'the mixture and downwardly. The vapors and gases are led to a condensermember 24. All condensed material is led from the discharge .end of the condenser 24 to a storage tank 25, and permanent gases or those not condensing.

at the temperatures within the condenser 24: are conducted to a storage tank for gases as indicated at 26.

The process outlined in the foregoing deof the structure sotemperatures may be used which are generally known to be necessary for the vaporization of various products obtained by distillation. It will be evident from the foregoing that the process provides for a higher temperature and pressure in the second heating chamber than in the first and that the temperatures stated are but indicative of the comparative relation of these temperatures. Changes in design and shape as well as the materials of construction of the apparatus may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. The process of extractinghydrocarbon material from shale and similar earthy material, which consists in reducing the material to be treated by mechanical action to a ulverized condition, subjecting the materlal So pulverized in a first container to a continuous agitating movement and to a heat treatment and to the action of dry steam, leading off the gases and vapors generated in said first container, conducting said material so treated into a second container and subjecting said material to a temperature higher than that in said first'container to generate hydrocarbon vapors and drythe material, and condensing the vapors so generated.

' 2. The process of extracting hydrocarbon material from shale and earthy material, which consists in reducing the material to be treated b mechanical action to a pulverized powderli e condition, mixing the material so treated with sand to keep separate the oil bearing particles of shale and prevent packing of the mass of shale, subjecting the mixture of pulverized material and sand in a first container to a continuous agitating movement and to a heat treatment and to the action of dry steam, leading off the ases and vapors generated in said first container, conducting said material so treated into a second container and'subjecting said material to a temperature higher than that in said first container to generate hydrocarbon vapors and dry the material, and condensing the vapors so generated.

3. The process of extracting hydrocarbon material from shale" and earthy material which consists in reducing the material to be treated by mechanical action to a pulverized powderlike condition of a fineness of 80 mesh, mixing the material so treated with sand to keep separate the oil bearing particles of shale and revent packing of the mass of shale, sub ecting the mixture of pulverized material and sand in a first container to a continuous agitating movement and to aheat treatment and to the action of dry steam, leading off the gases and vapors generated in said first container, conducting said material so'treated into a second container and subjecting said material to a temperature higher than that in said first container to generate hydrocarbon vapors 'and dry the material, and condensingthe to a pulverized condition of a fineness of mesh, subjecting the material so pulverized in a first container to a continuous agitating movement and to a heat treatment and to the action of dry steam, leading ofi the gases and vapors generated in said first container, conducting said material so treated into a second container and subjecting said material to a temperature higher than that in said first container to generate hydrocarbon vapors and dry the material, and condensing the vapors so generated.

5. The )rocess of extracting hydrocarbon material rom shale and similar earthy material, which consists in reducing the material to be treated by mechanical action to a pulverized condition, subjecting the material so pulverized in a first container to an agitating action and to the actionof dry steam and to a temperature sufliciently high to drive ofi volatile gases and vapors, leading off the gases and vapors generated in said first container, conducting said material so treated into a second container and subjecting said material to a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and to a highertem perature than the temperature in said first mentioned container and suflicient to drive off substantially all hydrocarbon material as vapor, and condensing the vapors so generated.

6. The process of extracting hydrocarbon material from shale and earthy -material,

which consists in reducing the material to betreated by mechanical action to a pulverized powderlike condition, mixing the material so treated with sand to keep separate the oil bearin particles of shale and prevent packing o the mass of shale, subjecting the mixture of pulverized material and sand in a :first container to an agitating action and to the action of dry steam and to a temperature sufliciently high to drive off volatile gases and vapors, leading off the gases and vapors generated in said first container, conducting said ma te'rlal so treated 1nto a second container and subjecting said material to a pressure greater ent material to keep separate than atmospheric pressure andto a higher 7. The process of extracting hydrocarbon material from shale and similar material which consists in mixing the shale-like material containing the desiredhydrocarbon material in a pulverized condition with sand to keep separate the oil bearing particles of shale and prevent packing of the. mass of shale, heating the mixture in a retort, and condensing the vapors generated by said heat treatment.

8. The process of extracting hydrocarbon material from shale and similar material which consists in mixing the shale-like material containing the desired hydrocarbon material in a pulverized condition with a neutral granular substantially non'-absorbthe oil bearing particles of shale and prevent packing of the mass of shale, heating the mixture in a retort, and condensing the vapors generated by said heat treatment.

9. The process of extracting hydrocarbon material from shale and similar material which consists in mixing the shale like ma-- terial containing the desired hydrocarbon material in a pulverized condition W1th sand to keepseparate the oil bearing particles of shale and prevent the packing of themass of shale, heating themixture in a retort in the presence of dry steam and subjecting the which consists in mixingthe shale like material. containing the desired hydrocarbon material in a pulverized condition with a neutral granular substantially non absorbent material to keep separate the oil bearing particles the mass of shale, heating the mixture in a retort in the presence of dry steam and subjecting the mixture to a pressure greater orv shale and prevent packing of.

than atmospheric pressure, and condensing the vapors generated by said heat treatment. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

AnoLPiiUs G. CRANE. 

